Should I stop wearing makeup if I have acne?

The debate over wearing makeup while having acne is nothing new. In fact, many of us have hit those crossroads before and still face it. You have acne but you don't want people to see that you have acne, so you cover it up with makeup. But, wearing makeup may just exacerbate the problem so that you end up with more acne and you need more makeup to cover up. The more the acne continues to worsen, the less likely you are to want to take a break from the makeup. And so the cycle continues. 

So what do you do? What is the real answer here when it comes to wearing makeup with acne?

To start off, it is important to recognize how acne is caused in the first place. Simply put, when the body is undergoing a fluctuation of hormones, these hormones cause the oil glands to produce more sebum (oily matter released from sebaceous glands), which then block the skin's pores. Bacteria can grow in these pores, resulting in inflammation and breakouts.

There are various factors behind the initial causes of these hormone fluctuations, such as diet and stress. 

Makeup, although it may not be a cause, can worsen existing acne and lead to more acne breakouts as certain makeup products contain oil can clog the pores, thus promoting that bacterial growth. 

However, in some cases, makeup may actually be beneficial for your skin, especially if they are water-based and contain ingredients such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide (these are known to kill and prevent bacteria growth). Though, be careful with such products as they can dry out the skin, causing the skin to send the oil glands into overdrive and promote acne breakouts. It is important to always remove all makeup so as to allow the pores to breathe.

Other, natural forms of acne treatment and prevention would be tea tree oil. It is just as effective as benzoyl peroxide, without the added side effects. 

So should you stop wearing makeup if you have acne? While it would be ideal to help the skin breathe, you do not necessarily need to stop wearing makeup if you use the right makeup products and remember to take all other steps to helping your skin stay healthy.